Never too late
by RomanticItal
Summary: After Jack tells Rose he loves her, Rose is to stubborn to relize Jack and her were meant to be. what if she changes her mind about him at the wrong time? please review!
1. Chapter 1

What if Rose changed her mind about Jack after he declared his love for her at the wrong time? What would become of them?

My arms in front of me were clutched in an iron hold as I followed Mr. Andrews, mother and Cal down the deck of the ship. Mr. Andrews was such a kind man, but he was telling me something about lifeboat capacity, and I wasn't listening. I had too much on my mind. Jack…

A forceful pull dragged me out of my thoughts and as I spun around, I peered into the eyes that were my thoughts. "Jack!" I said almost too loudly. Thank heavens mother and Cal were farther up ahead.

"Shh." He commanded, and he steered me off into a private room. The gym it looked like. His handel was urgent, but something about the way his arm was on me was protective. Placing me up against the wall, he stared into my eyes. His perfect, reassuring eyes studied me.

At that moment, all my thoughts evaporated. I couldn't think. Jack and I could never…I can't be here…but I lov…no…

"Jack, I can't see you." I started heading for the door, but he followed my movement, pulling me back.

"No Rose, let me get this out."

"Jack, I…"

"Rose, you're the most amazing girl I've ever known. I love that fire in you." His voice was so honest, so pure; I truly did believe him when he said those words. But my mind was slipping back.

"Jack, I can't..." I moved again, but he wasn't ever letting me go.

"Rose, I know I have nothing to offer you, but I'm too involved now. I love you Rose." Jacks voice was music to my ears, but I couldn't listen, I just couldn't.

The whole time, I had trouble meeting his eyes. "Jack, I'm engaged." I inhaled a deep breath. "I love Cal."

The hurt in his eyes was overwhelming, and I wanted to scream I love you and climb into his arms. To be with him forever. But my life wasn't that simple. It was only in my thoughts.

Before he could say anything else, I felt his trembling hand rub my cheek. His touch was so warm. I didn't want to leave. Jacks breath was steady, but hard. He wanted to say something. He was afraid.

"Jack, leave me alone." My voice cracked on the last word, and I could barely stand to watch his hand plummet from my face to his side. I couldn't bare look into his pain caring eyes, so I left as fast as I could, never looking back. This time, Jack didn't bother follow me.

*****

Night was approaching, and the sun was just setting behind the horizon. Purple, pink, and orange. But I couldn't even think of colors. I only thought of Jack. As I slowly emerged from the sea of benches around me, I saw him. It was Jack. He was leaning on the railing at the front of the ship. Of course I was within ear shot, but I didn't say anything. I couldn't, but I wanted to. So much.

He didn't move an inch as I took a step closer, and I could only imagine how devastated his expression was, looking out at the sea. I felt a pain in my stomach almost like a pull, and I couldn't breathe right. My hand hovered over him, ready to touch. But I never did. My lips parted to speak. Say that I changed my mind about us. But I never did.

Silent tears streamed down my face, as a soft gasp of pain escaped my mouth. Instantly I turned to run, and the one time I looked, I could have sworn I saw Jack shuffle back to look at the sunset. His gorgeous blond hair blowing in the wind.

*****

"Jack! Jack!" my voice was desperate, pleading, terrified. I shrieked as loud as my lungs would allow, but I doubted Jack could hear me through the moans of the ship, the crash of the icy water below, and the scrambling people fighting to live.

Titanic had hit an ice burg.

This magical, royal ship was going to be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. And half of it already was.

I couldn't care where mother or Cal were, probably safe on a life boat. But Jack wasn't safe, and if he wasn't, then I did deserve to be either.

As I fought my way to the ships stern, I felt the exertion of the climb, experiencing my feet sliding from under me. The stern was rising. I was running out of time! More tears escaped me.

Using the railing as a support, I heaved myself almost to the very back of the ship. I cried Jacks name again and again, but I was drowned out by the spine curling screams of the frantic passengers. Then…

"Rose!"

No, my ears were playing tricks on me.

"Rose!"

But my eyes don't lie. There was Jack, hanging on the sterns railing as he reached out for me. Our fingered brushed, and he pulled me to his side. I looked at his face, it was relatively calm, but I could tell what he was thinking. And being there, pushed up against his body, I realized how stupid I was. I didn't want to let go of him. He was my last piece of life, and I would never have enough. I wouldn't have enough time with Jack ever again. I had wasted it.

The stern rose higher.

"Jack, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed. "I love you Jack!"

Kissing my forehead, he replied, "We're going to make it Rose. We'll be together forever."

More screams erupted from around us and I helplessly watched people fall to their watery grave. "We need to stay on the ship as long as possible." Jack told me. Climbing over the rail, Jack tried to pull me up with him. "Never let go Rose. Promise me."

"I promise." I meant that with all my heart.

But it was too late. The stern was completely vertical. I was dangling in the air, grasping to Jacks hand, the railing with the other. And for that moment, I was oblivious to everyone else. It was only Jack and I.

Suddenly, I felt the stern being it's decent. We had only minutes, seconds left. Oh my god!

"I can't hold on!" I screamed. I felt my grip slipping.

"Never let go Rose! Understand? I'm coming with you!"

"What?" I said under my breath. Then I realized what he meant.

And then it happened, my arm fell from the rail, and Jack and I began plummeting to the freezing waters. I held on to him, never letting go, getting every bit of him as I could. We didn't hit anything on the way down I saw others had, but before we hit the water, I looked at Jack, and he was happy.

"I love you Rose."

Then he gave me one last kiss before we disappeared from the world forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Is this how it felt to be dead? The pain was excruciating, and it wouldn't stop. But I was sure that when it did, I would be fully dead. All was dark and empty.

But then I felt something and I opened my eyes. everything was blurry and bubbly, but what I did make out, I would have started crying if I wasn't underwater. Jack was two feet away from me and I could barely see him. I felt his hard clutch on my life belt tightening so we could stay together. We weren't dead, not yet…

Though I couldn't shake the feeling of panic in my mind.

And then I felt it. The suction. I wanted to scream out because suddenly Jack wasn't holding onto me anymore. The rest of Titanic was underwater, sucking him down. I would never see him again.

A burning erupted from my chest, telling me I needed air, and I hit the surface, filling my lings with a greedy gasp of air. Jack….

All around me, a swarm of hysteric people pleaded for help. Water splashed crazily around them and it was far from silent. Then my brain registered what I wanted. What I needed. "Jack! Jack! JACK!" I shrieked, but I could hardly hear myself. I was stuck in a sea of hell.

As I started swimming, I realized how stiff I was, the cold was already acting. Thank heavens for my life belt. But Jack didn't have one. "Jack!" I cried again. I kept swimming; I wouldn't give up, not for Jack. But all the faces I saw, I never recognized any. I needed to rest. Maybe if I just closed my eyes for a few minutes….

"Rose! Rose!"

My eyes shot open, and there was Jack, swimming toward me, face blue, lips pale, and chapped. At least he was okay. He didn't give up, so neither would I. I saw him struggling to keep himself up as he reached his hand out to me.

"Swim Rose! I need you to swim!" he ordered, as he pulled me along. My hand was so numb, but I commanded myself that I would not let go. "Almost there." Jack turned around to look at me, but he had a distracted look in his eyes. up ahead, I saw something very large floating in an area where very few people were. And for the first time, I truly looked at what was around me. Frantic passengers falling over each other. Fighting for anything to hold on to. To keep alive. Only some were already dead. I could not believe Jack felt something so big to float on.

"Okay Rose, get on top." Jack swam behind me, pushing me up onto what looked like a large door, or a broken piece of wall. It felt so good to be out of the water. But it was only for a short moment. I couldn't breathe in this air. It hurt.

"There you go Rose. On top." Jack leaned against the board, lifting my legs onto it. Then he went around to the front, facing me as I lay on my stomach, shivering.

"It'll be all right now." Jack forced a smile.

Shifting a little, I stared at Jack. "Jack, what about you? Get on top." The board was big enough for the both of us.

"Its alright Rose. I'll be fine." And he grasped my hand.

Suddenly, screams echoed from all around us. Screams calling back the life boats. Begging for them.

"Return the boats!"

"Please! Help us!"

"For Gods sake!"

I could see them in the distance, but they were just tiny specks. "They're coming back for us Rose. Hold on just a little longer." Jack said.

We waited, but nothing came.

*****

Almost everyone had stopped moving, and the cries were distant and weak. They were gone. Jacks head was turned, looking at how everyone was starting to give up. Then he looked at me, his breathing high and uneven. I could see the cloud of his breath in front of me.

"it's ju-st takin' a-a while to-o get the b-oats organized. They'll be-be coming s-s-soon."

Looking at Jack, seeing him struggle to speak, set off something in me. Something weak and my breathing became icy sobs. I knew deep down, we weren't going to make it. We just stayed alive now, so that we would have more time to be together.

"I love you Jack."

Jacks resting head slowly rose up with the sound of breaking frost and looked at me. "Don't say good bye yet Rose. Do you understand me? Not yet."

My eyes closed without a second thought. "I can't feel anything." My body was shaking violently and little gasps came from my mouth when I tried to talk. "I can't Jack."

When he lifted his other arm from the water, it killed me to see how hard that was for him. He was in the water, freezing, and here I am on top the board, with a life belt. This isn't fair.

"Rose." Jack said. Even his voice cracked. "You're going to get out of here. You're going to go on, and have a family, and die an old lady warm in her bed. You understand? But not here, not tonight Rose."

"I'm so cold Jack." Now I truly felt like giving up. What was the point? No boats were ever going to come. We would never make it until morning.

"Rose, you must promise me," he took his hand and kissed mine. I felt it trembling, trying to keep a good hold on mine. I've never seen it look so purple. I've never seen him look so lifeless. "That you will survive. You won't give up, no matter how hopeless it all seems. Swear to me, promise me, Rose. And never let go. Promise."

I could feel tears forming in the dry corners of my eyes. Only they turned to little icicles before they could fall off my face. Every word Jack said registered in my head. He wanted me to make it. He wasn't going to. Jack was giving himself up to save me. But I would rather die here, right now with him, then live eighty more years without him. I wasn't going to let him do that. I had to make a decision.

"No Jack." I kissed his hand, and it felt like it was fire pressed against my lips. "I'm not promising anything unless you come on top with me. There's lots of room. See?" I moved to the side, but even that was a great effort. How was I going to get Jack out of the water when I was like this?

"okay Rose, I'll come on with you."

Something in the back of my mind told me that was a good thing. And it surprised me how Jack pushed and fought to pull himself out of the water and onto the board. He was still holding on to me. Our weight was balanced so we didn't tip, and we were both facing inwards toward each other.

"I promise Jack. I'll never let go." I smiled. Jack moved closer to me, until every part of him was touching me.

*****

I felt like I was waking up, but I was still in my nightmare. Jack was still beside me, eyes closed, and bluer then ever. A thin layer of frost formed over his eyebrows. Our hands never parted, until….

I saw a bright flash of light in the distance come up from behind Jacks side. It was too dark to be the sun rising. Unless….

A flash light! A boat was finally coming. But it was rowing away from us, we needed to do something fast.

I started rubbing his hand for him to wake up. "Jack. Jack, there's a boat." Right then, looking at him, I've never loved him so much. There he was, not two inches away from he, and he was beautiful.

"Jack! Jack!" I rubbed harder, my voice going as loud as it could, but it was still only a whisper. Still, he didn't move. No no no no no no. Jack, your not dead! Jack there's a boat! My mind was wild. I kept shaking. "Don't leave me Jack."

And then he opened his eyes, though they were pale and hard white. But they still looked at me with love and compassion. "Jack, there's a boat." I repeated.

I saw it was getting farther away down the sea of dead bodies. But I still heard the faint call of the officer. "Hello! Can anyone hear me? Is anyone alive out there?"

Yes! Yes, we are alive! I wanted to shout.

Jack looked so weak. I needed to do something. Then he spoke. "Rose, you have to do it. Make it come here." He could barely get his words out. His eyes flickered open and closed.

"Jack! Stay awake! Hold on just a little longer!"

I turned off my side and landed on my chest, calling for the boat to come back. "Come back, come back." but my throat was so dry, they were never going to hear me. They weren't going to come. We were going to die.

I collapsed on the board, knowing I had no hope left. I was going to be responsible for Jack dying.

"Hurry, Rose." Jack murmured.

Oh god, what am I going to do? I tried calling again, but it didn't help. I'm sorry Jack. I'm so, so sorry. But Jacks voice played in my mind. "Never let go Rose." So I wouldn't.

Then something caught my eye, a few meters beside us, was an officer lying dead on a porch chair. In his mouth was a whistle. Thank god. I will make it there, I told myself. I will not let go. I love you Jack.

"hold on Jack." I said was I slid off the side of the board and clumsily splashed my way to the whistle. My arms and legs felt like boulders frozen in the largest glacier, but I didn't care. All I cared about was Jack.

Climbing on top of the chair, I greedily pulled the whistle out of the mans mouth and blew. I blew over and over as loud as I could. A huge feeling of relief and thankfulness filled me. Then I heard it.

"Come about!" it was the officer in the boat.

I kept blowing like crazy even when the bright light was only meters away. Then the boat brushed up beside me and two men pulled me in. finally out of the water. Wrapped in a warm blanket, I saw them pull Jack in also. As I lay to rest, I met Jacks eyes. And he smiled at me.

*****

It's been almost two years since Titanic sank, and being here with Jack, I almost forgot that it ever happened. Jack hasn't changed at all. I love him so much. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I had let him die that night, not so long ago. But Jack was alive, and sitting right next to me, watching the sunset, on the pier. That pier we talked about our first full day together. I turned my head to look into his gorgeous blue eyes. Jack caressed my neck as he leaned into kiss me.

The sun was almost tucked under the horizon, and in the distance, I heard our horses playing in the surf, and the sound of a roller coaster behind us.

"I'll never let go……."


End file.
